As Constable Griggs, proud as a pouter pigeon, departed with his prisoner, Doctor Bushnell replaced the sheet over the face of the dead woman, but not until he had looked again at the beautiful features, shaking his head, as if he could not understand the anomaly of countenance and character. "A--a woman of the underworld! It's just a little hard to believe that a woman with that face----" "On the fringe of the underworld, I think I said," corrected Wiggly Price. "Her associations were criminal, but I hardly imagine that she had led a vicious life, for that _would_ show." He paused for a moment. "Sarbella told me something about her that I hadn't known before--that it was her husband who came to Andrea Sarbella and told him the truth about her. I was just wondering if--if she had gone to the trouble of divorcing him. It's a difficult thing, getting a divorce in New York State." Doctor Bushnell looked grave. "Sarbella was right; she was a vampire. She tricked Gilmore, fooled him with her pretty face, as she fooled the other one--young Sarbella. I am apprehensive of the effect that this is going to have on Kirklan; already he is on the verge of a nervous breakdown, and when he learns the truth--well, I hope it can be withheld from him until he has had a chance to pull together." He made a move to depart, but Wiggly stopped him with a gesture. "Just a moment, doctor. You're satisfied that Sarbella did the shooting?" The physician seemed surprised by the question. "Certainly," he answered promptly. "There were but five persons in the house; two of them downstairs, three upstairs, when the fatal shot was fired. You don't mean to tell me that you have any doubts----" He broke off, disturbed by the recollection of Joan's evasiveness and perturbation. "I'm not saying Sarbella isn't the guilty man," answered Wiggly; "but I do say that it would be next to impossible to have a jury convict him on such evidence." "But he was the only person in the house who could have any possible motive for the crime," argued Doctor Bushnell. "Revenge, young man--a trait that is strong with the Latins, particularly the Italian. You don't for a moment entertain a notion that Mrs. Gilmore, the gentlest soul I have ever known, or Miss Sheridan----" "I admit the motive," interrupted Wiggly; "I admit the opportunity, and I admit that, on the face of things so far, he is the guilty man. But where is the proof--the proof that will convict him before a jury? "The proof of guilt is somewhere--somewhere in this house; it may be right in this room. I have been a newspaper reporter for ten years, and a lot of my assignments have been crime stories. I did headquarters for nearly five years; experience tells me that there are clews, definite and convincing clews, that will convict. There are always clews." "Yes, so I have gathered; but the room here--there is no evidence of a struggle--nothing visible----"